Australia is presently suffering a severe shortage of CO2 required for soft drinks to bubble. Ironically, the Australian Federal government recently passing a law to impose a carbon tax (still to come into effect) and this law aims to discourage production of carbon dioxide (CO2). In actual fact, the current shortage is  a consequence of necessary State government protective measures responding to non-comformances with environmental safety laws  by an upstream supplier to the CO2 plant.The temporary... ...Read more »

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has announced it will oppose the proposed acquisition of P&N Beverages Australia Pty Ltd by Asahi Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd. Asahi owns Schweppes Australia Pty Ltd, the second largest manufacturer of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) in Australia and the largest manufacturer of cordial. Its products include the Schweppes and Pepsi range of soft drinks, as well as the Cottee’s range of cordial. P&N is the third largest manufacturer of... ...Read more »

Schweppes Australia has added two new flavours to its family-favourite line, Schweppes Lemonade. Schweppes Limeade and Orangeade have no artificial colours or flavours and are sweetened with stevia, a natural plant extract, in addition to sugar, so contain absolutely no artificial sweetener. Schweppes said that using stevia as part of the sweetening of carbonated beverages is a “really exciting development”, representing “true innovation” in the beverages category. “Orangeade... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil, the Australian-based bottler and distributor for Coca Cola across Oceania, has announced plans to invest A$100 million in Indonesia over three years, doubling the company’s investment in the country. The announcement was made at Coca-Cola Amatil’s annual investor presentation in Indonesia yesterday. “The opportunity for CCA in the Indonesian market is to participate in the growth in the consumption per capita of commercial beverages through increasing theavailability... ...Read more »

An independent study by the Harvart School of Public Health has found a clear link between the consumption of soft drink, and type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome. While type II diabetes has long been associated with poor diet and high sugar intake, the study suggests that as little as one to two sugary drinks per day can increase the risk of type II diabetes by 26%. “Many previous studies have examined the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of diabetes, and most have... ...Read more »

PepsiCo has announced the transformation of its popular US lemon lime soda, Sierra Mist, into a beverage with entirely natural ingredients, Sierra Mist Natural. PepsiCo has removed preservatives and artificial flavours from the drink, sweetening it with sugar (as opposed to the widely-used high fructose corn syrup or HCFS, an almost ubiquitous sweetener in the US and subject of a number of health-related inquiries). “New Sierra Mist Natural has been stripped of everything artificial and is naturally... ...Read more »

New research from the US suggests that children who otherwise practice healthy life habits – eating fruits and vegetables, and engaging in physical activity – are also the largest consumers of flavoured, sweetened ‘sports’ beverages – a habit that could lead to annual weight gain of up to 4.5kg. Assistant professor of behavioural sciences Dr Nalini Ranjit, of the University of Texas, said the problem is one of association. “Children and parents associate these... ...Read more »

Men’s Health has released a run-down of the 20 unhealthiest drinks currently available in America in their popular Eat This Not That section. The feature compares drinks across a variety of categories – including functional drinks, smart water, energy drinks, coffee, smoothies and shakes – to snackfoods with equivalent calories. Topping the list at number 1 is the Coldstone PB&C 24fl oz (just over 700ml) thickshake, which weighs in at 2010 calories – the entire recommended... ...Read more »

Pressure from consumers and authorities for healthier soft drinks dominated a meeting of the key movers and shakers in the UK soft drinks industry late last week. Executives from the likes of Pepsi UK and Ireland, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) and Silver Spring Soft Drinks attended the 2010 UK Soft Drinks Industry Conference, organised by Zenith International. Victoria Milne, senior analyst for Zenith, forecast that the industry should expect a boost in consumption in the country in 2012, when the... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola has installed 35 new climate-friendly vending machines at the US Government’s Capitol buildings in Washington, D.C., home of the US House of Representatives. The new HFC-free (hydro-fluorocarbon free) cooling technology has around 1430 times less impact on global warming than a standard vending machine, and will reduce indirect greenhouse gas emissions by over five tons during the lifetime of the machine. The switch is part of the Green the Capitol program, finding new ways to reduce... ...Read more »